Lisa Ezra, Nederland. With a touch of magic and a pinch of fright, we were casting spells this festive night!  

Witches and Warlocks, Enchanted Creatures, Magical Folk of all stripes, and of course Musicians came out to celebrate the season with a raucous costume party at the Caribou Room this past Saturday.  Continuing a tradition that began in 2012, the Witches’ Ball celebrates Halloween but is also deeply rooted in Pagan spirituality, particularly the ancient Gaelic harvest celebration of Samhain and the time when the veil between worlds is the thinnest.  To honor these traditions, the Witches’ Ball opened with a Spiral Dance that brought to life the cycles of birth and death.  There was an Enchanted Market (local vendors), and tarot and astrology readings were available.  In celebration of Halloween was a costume contest.  Four winners were chosen due to a high percentage of attendees decking themselves out.  Emily Yates (Eventual Ukulele Superstar) opened the show with folk songs both quirky and poignant and was followed by two long, booty-shaking sets by Dead Floyd Orchestra, who played a healthy mix of Pink Floyd and Grateful Dead tunes.  The dance floor was packed with costumed, happy people from the opening notes until the very end.  “Don’t tell me this town ain’t got no heart”…. because Nederland, you’ve got it in spades.

(Originally published in the October 31, 2019, print edition of The Mountain-Ear.)